This article focuses on best practices to help data center managers meet cost reduction goals in supporting multiple users accessing servers through PC clients. New features in Solaris PC NetLink 2.0 software that improve performance and add new options for consolidating Windows NT servers are discussed.

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The trend toward increasing value and reducing cost in the data center is
more evident in our current economy. Means of reducing cost include supporting
as few servers as possible and switching to technology with a proven high level
of availability and increased capacity that requires less system management.

This paper focuses on best practices to help data center managers meet cost
reduction goals with respect to supporting multiple users accessing servers
through PC clients. It also discusses the new features in Solaris PC NetLink 2.0
that improve performance and add new options for consolidating Windows NT
servers. Several new configurations will be shown and performance, sizing, and
availability implications will be discussed.

Background

SolarisTM PC NetLink software is a Sun Microsystems product that
brings the file and print functionality of Windows NT 4.0 domains to Solaris
servers. The product originated with Windows NT 4.0 source code, available
through a port of ATT's ASU product. Sun engineers have enhanced the
product considerably since its initial release in 1999.

PC NetLink software implements many of the services offered by Windows NT 4.0
servers. Among these services are the following:

File and print functionality supported through common internet file
system (CIFS) SMB protocol

Computer Browser Service support. Solaris PC NetLink can act as the
master browser for a subnet.

In addition to these network services, Windows NT 4.0 server system
administration tools are provided. Window-based PC tools, such as User Manager
for Domains and Server Manager can also be used to manage the Windows NT side of
Solaris PC NetLink.

Solaris PC NetLink Versions

Solaris PC NetLink was released in three versions (1.0, 1.1, 1.2) prior to
Solaris PC NetLink 2.0. In summary, each release consisted of:

Version 1.0 - Initial release of the product.

Version 1.1 - Bug Fixes

Version 1.2 - Enhanced stability, SunTM Cluster 2.2 support,
member server support, support to allow backups to save files with ACLs together
through Legato Systems, Inc., concurrent connections increased to 2000, support
for Windows 2000 mixed mode support

Solaris PC NetLink 2.0 includes several new features that improve
performance, and significantly enhance the cluster support.

These new features include the ability to run up to ten Solaris PC NetLink
virtual servers on each Solaris physical host. This change created the following
improvements:

Better reliability (fewer single points of failure)

Easier migration and consolidation from Windows NT to Solaris
software